Pap Smear Specialist

Myles Kobren, M.D.

OB/GYN located in Nassau County, Syosset, NY & Queens County, Whitestone, NY

A Pap smear is a routine part of your well-woman visit. When getting a Pap smear, you want to feel safe and secure with the physician conducting the test. As a doctor who leads with the heart, Myles Kobren, MD, with offices in Syosset and Whitestone, New York, offers compassionate care. Whether you’re overdue for your well-woman exam or have concerns about your health and need a Pap smear, call Dr. Kobren’s office today, or use the online booking agent to schedule an appointment.

Pap Smear Q & A

What is a Pap smear?

A Pap smear is a clinical gynecological test that checks the cells of your cervix for cancer. If found early, cervical cancer is treatable.

Dr. Kobren conducts the Pap smear during the pelvic exam portion of your gynecological visit. As you lie on the table, he’ll insert the speculum and swab your cervix with a special stick that’s then placed in a tube and sent to the lab for testing.

You may feel some discomfort during the procedure, but it isn’t painful.

Is a Pap smear necessary at every well-woman visit?

You don’t need a Pap smear at every well-women visit. How often you get tested depends on your age. Women should start testing at age 21 and can stop after age 65.

Women who have gone through menopause and are 65 or younger still need to get regular Pap smears.

You may need Pap smears more often if you’ve had an abnormal test, have a weakened immune system, or your mother was exposed to diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic estrogen given to women between 1940 and 1971 during pregnancy.

Is a Pap smear necessary after a hysterectomy?

Depending on the type of hysterectomy you’ve had, you may not need a Pap smear. If you had a hysterectomy that removed your cervix, you don’t need to have a Pap smear.

However, if you still have your cervix or had a hysterectomy due to abnormal cervical cells, you’ll still need Pap smears as directed by Dr. Kobren.

How do you prepare for a Pap smear?

To prevent a falsely abnormal test, you need to prepare before having your Pap smear.

Two days before your Pap smear refrain from:

Sexual intercourse

Use of tampons

Use of vaginal creams, medications, or deodorants

Douching

If you have your period when you’re scheduled to have a Pap smear, you should reschedule. The best time to get a Pap smear is between 10 and 20 days after the start of your period.